matthes



UNITED STATES PATENT GFFIGE.

FRANCIS TV. MATTHES, OF ISLINGTON, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN MODES 0F PREPARlNG PAPER OR OTHER SMOOTH SURFACES SO THATTHE PREPARED SURFACE MAY BE EASILY EMBOSSED.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 212,030, dated February4, 1879; application filed January 9, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, 'FRANCIS WILLIAM MATTHES, of Liverpool Road,Islington, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented anImproved Mode of Preparing Paper or other Smooth Surfaces so that thePrepared Surface may be Easily Embossed, of which the following is aspecification:

The object of this invention is so to prepare paper or other smoothsurfaces that a beautiful and realistic appearance may be given to anydesign that may be sketched or drawn upon it, the sketch or design as itis produced by the hand of the artist becoming embossed or made to standin strong relief against the ground of the paper or other smoothsurface.

To this end I prepare a thick paste, which is composed of, say, half anounce of rice-starch, to which is added sufficient cold water to give itthe requisite amount of consistency. This thick paste is then diluted bythe addition of boiling water until the mass is sufficiently reduced toadmit of its being spread on a smooth surface by a soft brush or by anyother suitable means. The thin paste thus produced is then applied tothe smooth surface that it is desired to emboss, care being taken thatthe whole of the smooth surface be covered by the paste.

A piece of Chinese rice-paper is then placed on the smooth surface thathas been covered with the paste, and the whole may then be subjected toslight pressure to cause the rice paper to adhere to the pasted smoothsurface. The surface thus prepared should then be left to dry, andfinally put into a press or passed between smoothing-rollers, in orderto give the desired smoothness of surface to the rice-paper.

If desired, the smooth surface to which the rice-paper is applied may beprepared with a design of any suitable character, so that all the artistwill have to do will be to follow the outline of the prepared design,(which is clearly visible through the rice-paper,) and the surface ofthe rice-paper operated upon by the artists brush will be found to standoutin bold relief from the ground of the smooth surface, thus producinga very natural and pleasing effect.

It is evident that surfaces thus prepared are specially applicable forChristmas and New Years cards, valentines, and ornamental or embossedsurfaces of all kinds.

Having now explained the nature of the said invention, and the manner ofcarrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim-Themede of preparing smooth surfaces with a combination of starch andrice-paper, whereby the prepared surface may be readily embossed,substantiallyas hereinbefore described.

Dated the 23d day of December, 1878.

F. W. MATTHES.

Witnesses:

A. V. Bisnor,

117 Liverpool Road, N. J OHN DEAN,

17 Gracechm'ch Street, London.

